You’ve probably heard that 97 percent of dieters regain everything they lose (and more) within 3 years.

And let’s face it. We all know better than to trust diets that promise rapid and effortless results.

So why do we keep falling for fads that only end up making us fat, sick, and miserable?

I’m sure there’s a scientific answer to this ….

But honestly, it’s just a part of being human. 

We all want results now. And that’s what creators of fads know better than anyone else. 

They target us at our most vulnerable and push their solution as the answer to all our problems. 

Sometimes, we believe their lies. Even though we know a healthy lifestyle is the only way to guarantee great health and weight loss. 

That’s why fad diets are still crowding bookshelves and becoming “Best Sellers” every day. 

But there’s still hope for us. 

We don’t have to become victims to fads.  

This article will show you everything you need to know to protect yourself and your peers from fad diets. 

First, we need to know how to spot a fad. Here are 10 fad diet warning signs to look out for.

Warning Sign 1) The promise to get you unrealistic results … GUARANTEED!

You’ve seen the claims. 

• Lose weight FAST without effort or exercise! 

• Burn fat off your midsection instantly! 

• Get rid of your stubborn body fat for good! 

• You’ll never need to diet again!

Successful long-term weight loss takes work, dedication, and time.

And deep down, we all know this. 

So say “no” to anything promising miraculous results without the effort.

The only things you will lose are money and time you could have spent achieving real progress.

Warning Sign 2) “All you have to do is eat ‘X’ superfood!”

No single food will make your diet perfect by itself.

And no food will burn the fat right off your body either.

If such a food actually existed, every health professional would be prescribing it by now.

Hell, I’ll be the first one to let you know about it.

the reality is you need a variety of nutrients to look, feel, and perform your best every day.

That’s why a real healthy diet contains a balance of all the major food groups.

Warning Sign 3) “All you have to do is cut ‘X’ completely out of your diet!”

Likewise, no single food will automatically ruin your diet by itself. 

Now it’s true that heavily processed foods and sugars are easy to overeat and don’t contribute much to your health. 

But you can still have a healthy diet overall if 90% of what you eat are nutritious whole foods.

Avoiding foods or entire food groups is rarely a sustainable strategy. It may even lead to nutrient deficiencies if the rest of your diet don’t make up for the lost nutrients.

And don’t you find it ridiculous that some foods that are “banned” by certain fad diets are hailed as “superfoods” by other fad diets?

If you aggregated a list of all “banned” foods suggested by different fad diets, there’d be nothing left you can eat anymore. 

Warning Sign 4) The diet or protocol sounds like it could make sense, but has no real science backing it. 

Fad diet “gurus” may be sh*tty people, but they are fantastic at marketing and sales.

They will twist science and facts to create an enticing argument for their fad protocol.

They will sandwich lies in between truths … or tell half-truths that sound plausible to the average person.

But when you stop and look into the facts, that’s when it all falls apart. 

“Detoxes” and “juice cleanses” are perfect examples of this. 

Yes, a build-up of toxic chemicals in your body can be a real cause of poor health.

And yes, green juices can be a part of a healthy diet. In fact, they’re a great way to get more vegetables and fruits into you.

But there’s no scientific evidence showing you can “flush out” toxins from the body by drinking green juices. 

(We will talk about detoxes in detail real soon.)

It’s always good to be cautious and skeptical.

Warning Sign 5) The entire idea of the diet or protocol just sounds ridiculous. 

Other times, the fad diet are just plain bizarre.

For example: 

• Lose weight by breezing oxygen slowly, performing yoga, and only eating yogurt?

• Drinking warm drinks (and avoid cold drinks) to prevent obesity?

• Only eat foods “compatible” with your blood type and bone structure? 

BUT the fact that the 3 examples I just gave are actually real (and previously popular) fad diets shows you just how alert we have to be to avoid being tricked.

Warning Sign 6) You MUST follow very strict rules and procedures.

Stay away from diets that come with non-negotiable rules. Especially if they don’t teach you any healthy eating habits.

I mean, are you really going to follow strict rules at every meal for the rest of your life? 

Real healthy eating is all about using personal preference and flexibility. 

And that means mastering healthy eating habits so you can achieve your goals doing things you want to, not have to.

Warning Sign 7) The diet is a one-size-fits-all approach guaranteed to work for everyone. 

We’re all unique. We have our own individual preferences, needs, goals, and lifestyles. 

That’s why a long-term healthy diet is one that focuses on you and only you. 

A solution for everyone is a solution for no one.

One-size-fits-all does NOT exist in the realm of health and fitness.

Warning Sign 8) The diet needs you to take special pills and powders (that the creator sells). 

If you must buy special products from a “guru” or supplement company for a diet to work, you should stay far away.

That’s because you don’t develop any healthy eating habits by relying on pills and powders. 

Even meal replacement diets pushed by some doctors are not the best for lasting success. 

And when people eventually stop buying these expensive products, they go right back to the lifestyle that got them in trouble in the first place.

Warning Sign 9) The diet or “guru” claims everything we’ve been told about nutrition is wrong.

… And they’re the only ones with the “Answer™.” 

Warning Sign 10) The diet is endorsed or created by a celebrity actor, doctor, trainer or nutritionist.

If you’re taking nutrition advice from Gwyneth Paltrow, please stop. 

You deserve better. 

Case Study: The Truths and Lies of “Miracle” Detoxes and Cleanses 

Detoxes and cleanses are the most popular examples of fad diets in the 2010s.

I’m sure you know someone who has done a juice detox.

After all, they’re marketed as the solution to all our health troubles. 

“Whether you want to drop a few kilos fast, boost your energy levels, reduce stress, or improve your health, a full body juice detox is the way to go.”

“All you need to do is buy our green powders, teas, and supplements designed to cleanse your body of all ‘toxins!'” 

The truth? Detoxes and cleanses are nothing more than marketing scams.

Drinking nothing but glasses of lemon juice and spices will not flush the toxins out of your body. 

It’s a message designed to take advantage of you when you’re vulnerable so “gurus” can sell their books and products.

The only thing you will be flushing out is your hard earned money. 

Let’s take a closer look at detoxes and see if we can spot some warning signs of a fad.

1) Firstly, there is no single agreed upon definition for detox diets and cleanses.

Detox companies just can’t seem to agree with each other. They all have their own unique explanations for “detoxing” and how it works. 

And of course, their products are the only ones that work.

That’s because nutritional detoxing is a marketing term made up by false “gurus” and savvy entrepreneurs.

The actual term “detoxification” comes from the medical field. In hospitals, it refers to the removal of harmful substances from the body. 

We’re talking about excess alcohol, drugs, and real poisons. 

These detoxes involve life-threatening situations and medical procedures … and has nothing to do with juices, pills, or green supplements. 

2) No one will ever tell you exactly which toxins are being removed.

Supplement companies use the vague term “toxins” without explaining what it actually means. Just that they are ticking time bombs accumulating in all your organs. 

If detox diets really worked, surely someone would be able to tell you exactly which toxins they actually remove.

Are we talking about heavy metals? Pollutants and pesticides? Or even artificial preservatives?

We will never know (because they don’t even know). 

3) Detox salespeople are very vague about exactly how toxins are removed.

“Drink 12 glasses of lemon juice with syrup every day and you will remove every toxin from your body.”

Want more details about how it all works? 

“It just does.”

4) Promises of rapid weight loss? Sure. That’s usually what happens when you stop eating food. 

If you follow the typical detox diet protocol, you will drop weight fast. 

That’s because your stomach and intestines will be empty. Your muscle and liver’s glycogen (carbohydrate stores) will deplete. And you will lose a lot of water from your body. 

But the weight you lose comes back a few hours after the detox ends. Because you will eventually have to eat food again. 

And in the end, it’s all just a short-lived illusion. 

5) You must buy a detox company’s products and follow their exact protocol. 

For some detoxes to “work,” you must buy a company’s specific juices, green supplements, or detox pills. 

That seems odd, doesn’t it?

Most detox protocols are also strict and inconvenient. You may even need to buy and juice kilos of organic fruits and vegetables every day. 

Ironically, some juice detoxes can give you wild blood sugar swings. This can make you feel constantly tired … and even be dangerous for people with diabetes. 

6) Most importantly, your body is fully capable of cleansing itself. Without you drinking special juices or fasting for days. 

Our body has its own detoxification system perfected over centuries of evolution. 

It involves our digestive tract, liver, kidneys, lungs, skin, immune and respiratory systems. 

These organs break down chemicals and remove them via urine, faeces, sweat, and even breathing.

a) Your liver is your body’s main detoxification organ:

• It deactivates and removes any toxic substances you ingest.

• It extracts waste from your blood for your intestines and kidneys to remove.

• It has cells that destroy harmful bacteria, fungi, and viruses that enter your body.

b) Your kidneys help clean your blood of harmful substances and remove them through urine.

c) Your lungs trap harmful bacteria and particles you breathe in. They also secrete immune cells that prevents infections and destroys microorganisms. 

d) Even your skin removes toxins through sweat.

The best part?

Your detoxification organs work all the time and don’t need a break. Even if your lifestyle isn’t as healthy as it should be. 

This is importance because you encounter harmful substances in your food, water, and environment every day. 

Can you help strengthen your body’s natural detoxification system? Definitely.

You can do that by taking good care of your organ through healthy eating and exercise: 

• Eat a good amount of fibre (between 20 to 35 grams a day). Fibre binds many harmful substances and ends up in your colon for elimination. 

• Drink enough fluids. This includes water and tea. You can tell if you’re drinking enough fluids by the colour of your urine. If it’s clear, you’re good to go.

• Exercise regularly. Exercise improves your blood circulation and helps you clear waste products quicker. It’s even better if you can work up a sweat. 

• Ironically, don’t take unnecessary dietary supplements. More does not always equal better. Excess vitamins, minerals, and other compounds you take become burdens your body must remove.

• Keep your body fat within a healthy range. That’s because some harmful chemicals are fat-soluble. This means they can build up in your body fat. Stay lean and these chemicals are less likely to reach dangerous levels.

The Key Take-Home Message

The biggest reason why fad diets fail is that they don’t take your personal preferences into account. 

If you don’t like the foods you’re allowed to eat on a diet, you will eventually stop the diet.

And if you can’t go long without the foods a diet forbids, you will also eventually stop the diet.

The “best” diet for you is one you can stick to.

That’s why every successful plan needs to take personal preference into account.

They also must teach you habits to help you make good food choices for life. 

The question you must ask yourself is this:

Would you rather keep having to lose weight over and over again by following fad diets …

Or would you rather put in the effort to improve your lifestyle and achieve results that last a lifetime? 

So think carefully before experimenting with your health on the next “big thing.” 

Avoid easy fixes, miracle solutions, and dangerous fads like detoxes and cleanses.

If you want to look, feel, and perform your best, you should base your diet around the principles of healthy eating.

No fads, no gimmicks.

Just proper nutrition proven to help you achieve lasting results.